Higher education is evolving and so is EOP. If nothing else, the last year has taught us the value of engaging with our students while being conscious of their unique circumstances. For the past 14 months our students have managed to continue their education amidst losing jobs and family members, battling Zoom fatigue, adjusting to online learning, and dealing with the daily pressures and uncertainties of a global pandemic.
They are pretty amazing and deserve an equally amazing EOP experience. To continue providing them the opportunity to change their lives through higher education, we are innovating our services to better represent our core values.
Your financial support will build on the EOP legacy and provide students with scholarship opportunities to engage and maximize their education. When they attend our program opportunities, students experience the best of what EOP has to offer, including:
- Community Building: students will connect, learn and grow with SSEP staff and peers to build community and a sense of belonging.
- EOP Learning Center: students will increase their academic confidence by developing strategies for learning, productivity, and mindset.
- Financial Literacy Series: students will understand the importance of financial wellness/education as it relates to their success in and out of college.
- Grad School Prep: students learn how to seek, prepare for, and successfully apply to graduate school.
- Wellness: Students will engage in interactive and reflective psycho-educational workshops where they learn coping strategies, grow in their ability to navigate emotional challenges, and gain an increased awareness regarding mental health services and resources.
It is because of partnerships like yours that we can empower low-income, first-generation students to change their lives through higher education. We look forward to our continued partnership in impacting the next generation of innovators, thinkers, helpers, creators, and doers.
EOP advisor Rebecca Aguiniga Cutler and alumnus Eric Lara The Dr. Lara and Family Scholarship and Becky Cutler Scholarship was started by Dr. Eric Lara and his family, wife Erica and daughters Ophelia and Eleanor Lara. Eric is an alumni of Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Engineering from the Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology Program (B.S.) and the College of Education and Integrative Studies from the Educational Multimedia Program (M.A.). He also earned a Doctorate of Education in Higher Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California (USC). Growing up in East San Gabriel Valley (La Puente and West Covina), Eric understands firsthand the struggles, culture and community of first-generation, low-income students. Eric has a true passion and commitment for working with these populations today. As an alumni of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Cal Poly, Eric recognizes that he could not have started or succeeded in his college career, if not for the support of his advisor, Becky Cutler, and the rest of the EOP staff. For this reason, he and his family now want this scholarship to help current and future EOP students.